Guides By Suzy

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Car Guide

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Getting a new car? Exciting!! While getting a new car is very fun and exciting, it’s important to know that there are a lot of things you’ll need to keep track of once you buy a car. Your driver’s license, car insurance, registration, just to name a few, and this post is going to cover it all. And from my experience, you’ll want a system to keep track of all of this for you, and I recommend using my digital planner on ClickUp. I made this planner because I needed a way to keep track of all of my renewals, and now I don’t know what I’d do without it! You can get it on my Etsy store here.

Outline

1. Buying a Car Tips

Before we get into the renewals, here are a few tips to know about if you want to buy a car.

  • Go to a real dealership: For example, if you want to buy a used BMW, go to a real BMW dealership. If you want to buy a used Volvo, go to a real Volvo dealership. I personally wouldn’t buy a car from a random used car dealership, or just off someone’s ad online.
  • Check the Model Year: I personally wouldn’t buy a car that is over 5 years old. For example, if the current year is 2025, I wouldn’t buy anything older than the 2020 model. Buying a car that’s 5 years old is usually my max.
  • Check the Milage: In addition to checking the year, you should also check to make sure the car has low milage. For example, if a car is only 2 years old but has 100,000 miles on it already, I definitely would not buy that one. I usually look for a car that has 40,000 miles or less on it.
  • Check the CarFax: Under the car details on the dealership’s website, you’ll usually see a link to the CarFax for the car. Some dealers offer it for free, but if not, it’s around ~$50. You should definitely check this before buying any used car because it will tell you if it was in any major collisions, and shows if it was regularly maintained. Good things to look for are if the tires and brake pads were ever replaced, since those I replace every 4 years or so. It’s also important to know that not everything done to a car is reported to CarFax. For example, the tires could have been replaced at a tire place, but they never reported it so it doesn’t show on the report. So CarFax is really just a starting point, so you have a general idea of the car’s history.
  • True360 Report: Sometimes car dealerships also do a True360 report on a car to double check for any structural damage. These are great because they are an unbiased third party that checks for any damage to the car. When I bought my car, this was also provided for free.
  • Test Drive: Once you find a car that passes all of those tests, then call and make an appointment with the dealership to test drive it.
  • Price: Just know that the price listed on the dealership’s website is the price before taxes and fees. So be prepared for the final price to be a few thousand more than what’s listed on the website.
  • Have a Comp: Even if you only have your eye on one car, ALWAYS test drive another car that is valued a few thousand less. This way when you negotiate price, they can lower the price to match the price of the comp car. I did this when I bought my car and it brought down the price $3,000!
  • Negotiate: If they say it’s 30k, don’t just be like “ok!” and buy it. As I mentioned, always test drive another car that is less expensive, because they might lower the price to match it.
  • Prepare: When I bought my car, the whole process took about 5 hours. From talking numbers, to car options, to test drives, to paperwork, it’s definitely a full day affair. So pack a snack! Because it’s gonna take a while.
  • Documentation: Even though it takes a while, dealerships can sell a car, and you can drive it off the lot that day. When I bought my car, they did everything for me – the registration, the title, the plates, and my car insurance were all done that day.
  • Title: The Title is something you should know about, since it’s your proof that you own the car. There are 2 options, you can get it electronically, or a paper copy. I chose to get the paper copy, so they mailed it to me a few weeks later.
  • Car Insurance: If you get the car insurance at the dealer, just know that it’s going to be terrible. When I got my car, I even asked for “Full coverage,” and when I got home and looked up the coverage details on my account, it was awful. Basically, there isn’t really time to go through all of the specifics that day, and getting decent coverage will happen once you’re home and can shop around. So, just be prepared for the initial coverage to be awful, and then when you get home, you can shop around for a better plan, and then cancel the one you got at the dealership. Car insurance is pretty confusing, so below I describe in detail what I get for each category.

2. Car Insurance

There are a few main categories to look for with car insurance, and I’ll list the ranges below that I go for when I’m choosing my coverage. Basically I just go to the websites of the top 3 most popular car insurance companies, and plug in these numbers and get a quote from each. After you finish getting your quotes, a local agent from each company will usually reach out to you within a few days and offer you a better deal than what’s listed online.

Car Insurance Renewal Info
  • Renew Every: Depends on the insurance company – but usually every 6 or 12 months.
  • Renewal Info: Many insurance companies offer automatic renewal, but you should still check what the new rates are since they frequently raise them. For me, if they raise it more than 5%, I’ll switch companies. Then once it’s renewed, make sure an updated copy of this is always in your car.

3. Driver’s License

  • Renew Every: Varies by state.
  • Renewal Info: Many states offer online renewal, but it varies by state – check your state’s government website.

4. Registration

  • Renew Every: Varies by state, but usually every 1 or 2 years.
  • Renewal Info: Many states offer online renewal, but it varies by state – check your state’s government website. Once it’s renewed, make sure an updated copy of this is always in your car. Sometimes there is also an updated sticker that you need to add to your front windshield or license plate.

5. Inspection

Some states require you to get your car inspected every few years, and some don’t at all. Check your states DMV website to see if you’ll also need to do this.

  • Renew Every: Varies by state, but usually every 1 or 2 years.
  • Renewal Info: Many gas stations offer inspections, but check on your states DMV website for official inspection locations.

6. AAA

Another thing I would recommend getting is AAA. If you get a flat tire, or if something ever happens, you’ll want to have someone to call.

7. Toll Pass

If you live in a state that has toll roads, you’ll want to get a toll pass. In Florida, for example, it’s called a SunPass and you just put it on your windshield.

8. Key Batteries

Most cars have keys that require batteries, and I usually replace the batteries myself once a year. I look on YouTube to find a video that walks through how to change them. Check which battery your car key uses, but most use the CR2032 and you can get them for a few dollars on Amazon. You might also want to get an AirTag and key ring so you always know where your keys are. Newer car keys can be around $700-$800 each to replace, so it’s a good idea to track them! And luckily the AirTags also use the CR2032 batteries, so you can replace the batteries all at once.

9. Phone Charger

Make sure you have an extra phone charger in your car, and I’ll link the one that I have here.

10. Connect to Garage Door

Different cars might have a slightly different process connecting to a garage door, so I’d recommend just searching YouTube for a video showing you how to connect them.

11. Tire Pump

Another good thing to have in your car is a portable tire inflator. The warning lights for my tire pressure go off all the time, and this makes it so easy to fix them. The pressures for each tire are usually listed on the panel on the driver side door / seat area, and you would just inflate the tire to that pressure (usually between 30 – 40 PSI).

12. Maintenance

In addition to having all of the updated documentation, there is also basic car maintenance that you should know about. In general, I have my car checked about once a year. You don’t have to go to a dealership for this annual maintenance appointment. If you have a highly rated auto center near you, that’s also a good option. Some of the basic things they check are:

  • Oil levels
  • Tire wear (I replace my tires every 4 years or so)
    • 💡 Tire Tip: You may get a nail stuck in your tire every so often. You’ll know this by either hearing a click while driving, or your tire pressure light will go off. This is usually an easy fix, and you can go to a tire place and they can take it out for around $30. When looking for a tire place, make sure they get good google reviews, since that’s what I always check before going anywhere.
  • Tire pressures
  • Fluid levels
  • Brakes (I replace my brake pads every 4 years or so)
  • Wipers

13. Car Wash

Getting your car washed consistently is another important thing to do to make sure your car is maintained. Use your discretion, but it’s a good idea to get your car washed every few months.

And those are all of my car tips! Do you have any questions? Let me know in the comments! Also, if all of this stuff seems overwhelming to keep track of, I recommend getting my digital planner to help!

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